Great Blue Wild

Three hundred and seventy miles off the coast of Mexico in the eastern Pacific, the waters surrounding Socorro Island are home to some of the worlds largest marine life. Take a deep dive through surging currents and majestic coral reefs with whale sharks, giant manta rays, and more.

Forty miles north of Honduras, near the bay Island of Roatan, is a spectacular and pristine preserved coral atoll: the Mesoamerican reef. explore the abundant and diverse marine life, lush vegetation, and magnificent caves of this rare underwater wonder.

The Belize Barrier Reef is the second-largest coral reef system in the world. Estimated to be nearly 4,000 years old, its waters are home to an immense marine ecosystem. Explore a deep blue wilderness brimming with rare, exotic fish, sea turtles, sharks, and huge green morays.

In three decades, the waters around the remote village of Cabo Pulmo have gone from wildly biodiverse, to barren, to a bountiful and pristine haven for mighty sharks and flying rays once again. See how local fishermen ultimately turned back the clock, restoring one of the worlds most majestic coral reefs.

In Palau, the local economy relies on ecotourism thats sustained by strong legal support. Shark hunting is banned, giant manta rays are protected by law, and tireless efforts are made to combat the acidification an ocean ecosystem housing coral reefs. But can ambitious conservation keep pace with the scale of man-made devastation?

Indonesias marine rainforests are under threat, and rising sea temperatures and destructive fishing practices have taken a toll. However, conservation initiatives in hundreds of protected marine zones have given hope to the giant manta rays, 300 species of coral, and six of the worlds seven sea turtle species that call this ecosystem home.

The Maldives are the lowest country in the world--and getting lower, due to rising sea levels. Especially at risk is the islands reef system, the biggest in the Indian Ocean, with over 200 types of coral and thousands of tropical fish species. Witness the race to preserve this marine paradise from the ravages of climate change.

Mantas eat plankton, not fish. So why would oceanic manta rays, among the largest of the species, make an annual pilgrimage from the waters of Mozambique all the way to the coast of South Africa to attend the sardine run, the worlds largest migration of marine animals? Follow dedicated manta researchers as they work tirelessly to discover the secrets of one of the oceans most mysterious and majestic dwellers. They might even discover new species along the way.

The coastal waters of Mozambique are the domain of giants, from visiting humpbacks to resident whale sharks. But the tiniest species also play a big role. Brightly colored slugs known as nudibranchs inhabit shallow reefs, estuaries, and mangroves. Of the 200 species here, 90% are newly discovered. Follow the research team as they navigate fickle tides and indiscriminate fishing practices to protect the marine giants of Mozambique--and the tiny creatures that live in their shadow.